


Dear Scott

by tstrash



Category: Figure Skating RPF
Genre: AU, F/M, dear john au, wow what am I doing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-28
Updated: 2018-08-23
Packaged: 2019-06-17 12:07:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,440
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15461019
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tstrash/pseuds/tstrash
Summary: Captain Scott Moir, an active member of the Canadian Armed Forces has just been granted an honourable discharge from his unit after being shot twice in the shoulder, impairing his performance. Scott continues to live through the two moments that flashed in his mind before blacking out, over and over. So he writes it down, and mails it to the only address he knows by heart, other than his own. Not anticipating any reply, he is startled when a letter is shoved in his mailbox one morning. The contents of the letter may give him the second chance at life he didn't think he would get.Or the Dear John AU I had wanted someone else to write but I gave up waiting for and did it myself.Based loosely off the concepts of the story.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> *nervously taps microphone* hey everyone I'm back. Anyways here's an au for y'all that I couldn't get out of my head. Please let me know with comments and kudos if this is actually something you guys are interested in reading. I'll actually respond this time I'm so sorry haha. Ok instead of me rambling here you go. Thanks to Sarah and Winnie and Talia for being my sounding board on this.

Dear Tess,

I’ve been staring at this blank sheet of paper for longer than I care to admit. It’s funny to see that something I used to be able to do so easily seems like the most impossible task now. I’m writing to you because we both deserve the truth. So here it is. 

First off, you’re probably wondering why I’m writing to you after an entire year and the truth is, what better time than now? When a thought has been tearing away at your head for that long, it gets to the point where you just want to scream it from the rooftops. I figured I would hopefully save you the headache by keeping it simple, in a format we are both all too familiar with.  
Back in November as I was laying in the cold mud somewhere in the middle east with two bullet holes in my shoulder, I really and truly thought I was going to die. In a moment like that, the most important things in your life seem to come to mind. 

The first being my dad. Not just the thought of him, but the lesson he taught me that has stuck with me and will continue to till the day I actually die. He would always say that there is nothing more valuable than being a part of a team with a good cause. I guess this is why I joined the army. You’re never really alone, and you make a difference. I was a part of a good cause, fighting for what I believed in, what our country needed, what I needed to prove to myself that I am stronger than I thought. There were moments I wasn’t strong, you know that. But my team was there to pick me up and that’s what a good team does for one another. Now, you’re probably thinking “Ok, Scott, get to the point” and I would tell you to relax, but here’s my point. 

The second thing I thought of before I blacked out was the most important team I have ever been a part of. Now this team, well they were indestructible. They made it through so much in so little time in the least ideal circumstances. From an outsider’s perspective, this team looked doomed from the beginning. One member didn’t know how long he would be stationed in one place for, while the other had her future mapped out to a T right in front of her eyes. And this team seemed to find their groove in the short span of a week before nothing could stop them. Do you know which team I’m talking about yet? 

But something about this team was special. They balanced each other out. When one pushed, the other pulled. When one was down, the other could pick them up. When one was far away, the other never failed to give an entire essay on everything he was missing. I think what made this team work so well was love. Is love. 

We may not have been the best functioning team for a little bit there but love is always something that will keep us part of the same team, Tess. You and me. When I was with you, I never felt alone, like I could do anything I ever wanted. You brought that out in me and I am forever thankful for that. You helped me overcome the moments where I didn’t think I could go back to the army, showed me what I could come back to if I made it through. So I fought for you. I fought to come back to you, to see you, to hold you, to be with you. It was all for you.  
You showed me what a true team could be. Sure, being with a bunch of guys fighting for a country I love so much was great and we had some good moments, but they weren’t the team I thought of in those moments. There will never be a team as important to me as you and I. 

When you sent the letter saying that you had moved on, that was the first time I died. I never knew a love like that could exist. It all seemed too good to be true. I had the only person I ever needed in my life, but then that so quickly disappeared. You’re going to hate me for sounding dramatic, but now that I look back on it, I can compare the heartbreak to the gun shot in a couple ways. The first, it was unexpected. Came out of nowhere and I didn’t even have a chance to make it right or talk my way out of it. The guy was standing on a scaffold at least twenty feet above me. I didn’t have a chance at seeing him. When I didn’t hear from you for three months, I thought it was because we had kept moving around so much that the mail just never got to me. When a big load came in one day and there were letters addressed to everyone but me, I knew something was up. Now the contents of the letter, that’s what blindsided me. I don’t want to go through that again, so I won’t go into detail. 

The second, I felt betrayed by my team. In the army when you’re surveying an area, one guy goes one way and one goes the other. You clear areas, further eliminating the chance of tragedy, warning your team when someone is around. That didn’t happen. I went in all by myself, forgetting the meaning of what a team was and the result was two holes in my shoulder. When you left, it was as if the most valuable player quit the team. I knew I could never attempt to fill the shoes of a team mate I admired so much. Who I loved so much. So I never did. I left that hole vacant, hoping you would come back and fit yourself right into where you left. The hole in my heart is comparable to the holes in my shoulder. They can only be filled by what had struck me in the first place. I could only hope that with this letter, I could start to repair one of the holes with the only thing that can fill it. 

In case this didn’t make any sense and it turned out to be me rambling about nothing, here’s the synopsis. Before I blacked out, I thought of the two most important people in my life. The two people that have taught me the most valuable lessons, showed me unconditional love, and been there for me, even when we were oceans apart. The two people that made me feel like I was involved in something bigger, something that set me apart from everyone else. 

My dad, of course. But most vividly, you. I guess I just wanted to say that I was thinking about you. I’m always thinking about you. Back then you were all I thought about. You snuck into every part of my life, leaving me with pieces of you for wherever I ended up. Now, you’re still all I think about. There’s only one real explanation as to why this is. I love you, Tessa. I have never loved anyone in the way that I love you. From the first time, we met eyes on the beach over two years ago when your sister knocked a grocery bag right off your arm and all over the pavement, to the time where I showed up at the farm after only being home for a few hours and knew you were with someone else, I loved you. It didn’t matter. None of it matters, because I still love you in that same way. I will always love you in that same way. I hope I’ll see you soon then. 

With love,  
Scott.


	2. But This Feels Like The First Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Psychology major at Western university, Tessa Virtue, is taking a week long spring break vacation at her mother’s cottage before starting up summer classes. With her sister Jordan joining her, the week promises to create memories that she will carry with her forever. As the sisters visit the local farmers market in the small lakeside community of Bayfield, Jordan turns around a little too quickly to Tessa, who is carrying a very full basket of fresh produce in her hands. When the basket falls to the ground, she is met with the sight of an unfamiliar hand, helping her place the contents back in. What she doesn’t expect is to be met with hazel eyes that melt her heart beat faster, and a mop of brown hair that captures her attention.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And I'm back. I do apologize for the amount of time that this has taken. Life gets in the way, lack of motivation exists, and writers block is awful. Luckily, I have Winnie and Talia and Sarah to help me out so here it is. I do apologize if this chapter is a little _dry_ , but there is quite a bit of ground that needs to be covered in order to push the story forward. Stick with it, it'll get better.

_May_

For as many bonfires as Tessa has hosted and been to in the times that she’s spent out at her mother’s cottage, she still has no clue what to pick up. It’s usually a gamble on how many people will show up, considering that sometimes the entire beach will show, or sometimes it’s just her family. To keep her on track, she can always count on her sister, which she is thankful for when they find themselves at a very busy Sunday morning farmers market in Bayfield.

“Okay, remind me one more time what we need, Jord” Tessa asks her sister in close proximity, hoping to avoid any collisions with others.

“We should probably get some hot dogs and marshmallows, you know, just general roasting ingredients. But, I also think we should be getting some fresh fruits, that way we can make smoothies or milkshakes. What do you think?” Jordan lists off.

“You’re right. Why don’t we start at that fruit stand over there?” Tessa asks as she points ahead of her.

Bayfield isn’t usually known to be a very crowded town, but considering that it is the semester break and it’s a short distance away from major cities in Ontario, it’s a popular place for people to recharge, which is exactly what Tessa is looking to do. Spending some quality time with her sister has always been one of Tessa’s favorite things to do, but with such drastically different lives and schedules, it’s hard to come by these days. As Tessa is in between spring and summer classes for her degree in psychology at Western University, Jordan fills her days as a lawyer in Toronto. To have this time together before they both get thrown back into real life is something Tessa has been looking forward to ever since they made these plans.

As Tessa is looking at baskets of strawberries, Jordan has moved on towards the bakery stand a couple feet away. As she inspects each basket for ripeness and the nicest looking strawberries, she’s finally satisfied with her choice as she makes her way over to the cashier. Just as she’s about to put the basket on the scale, Jordan returns from the bakery stand.

“Okay!” Jordan squeaks in a perky and surprising tone, causing Tessa to spin quickly around to her, berries still in hand, before they collide and watch the basket topple to the ground. “Oh gosh, Tess. I’m so sorry” Jordan tells her earnestly before the girls both bend down to start picking them up.

“Just when I thought I had grabbed the perfect basket you had to-” Tessa starts before she is cut off by the sight of an unfamiliar hand reaching down to pick up the berries. Before Tessa has a chance to look up, she immediately begins thanking the hand. “You didn’t have to do that, it’s very kind of you” she says before meeting the pair of soft hazel eyes now at her height, the look complete with a mop of brown hair, perfectly styled in a way that frames the man’s face yet still hangs down on his forehead in the most attractive way.

“It’s no trouble” he speaks, finally, with a soft and comforting voice, and a smile that immediately makes her knees go weak. He’s handsome, and helpful, and Tessa isn’t sure she believes in love at first sight, but this man had maybe just changed her mind.

“Uh, Tess” she hears Jordan’s voice in the cloud of her thoughts, trying to pull her back to reality.

“What?” Tessa asks, a little cut off and snippy before noticing that all of the strawberries have returned to the basket and she’s the only one still squatting. As her face turns the same deep color of red as the berries, she squeaks out again, not breaking eye contact with the man quite yet. “Thanks again for the help” Tessa initiates shyly.

“It’s not a problem, hey?” he responds again softly, before wiping his hand on his shorts.

“Tessa” she tells him as she extends her hand out to shake his.

“Scott” he states simply before reciprocating the shake.

“I’ll see you soon then, Scott” she smiles, before waving to him and turning around to her sister.

“Take care.”

When Tessa faces her sister once more, a knowing look is dawned upon her face, with a certain smugness that Tessa knows exactly what’s coming.

“Tess! Are you insane? Why didn’t you invite him to the bonfire? Obviously, you two hit it off” Jordan asks her, giving her shoulder a little shake.

“You try talking to an extremely attractive man in that close proximity with no time to prepare and then tell me you could have a clear thought” Tessa scoffs back. “Come on, we need to pick out a different basket now and get back to the cottage” she says, trying to change the subject and wanting the blush that’s creeping from her neck up into her cheeks to quit before anyone notices. Before Jordan had any time to protest, Tessa grabs her arm, pulling her through the crowds of people back towards their cottage. 

When Captain Scott Moir first joined the army four years ago, he simply did it for the love of his country. There has always been a spot in his heart reserved for a time in his life that would make him feel whole, and the army really filled that. Having two older brothers only fueled the fire within him to feel like a part of something bigger. He felt like he needed to measure up. Now, he’s in between missions, giving him a week back at home to spend with his family who live in Bayfield, Scott is seeking solace before the mayhem that is war that he will be returning to a week later. 

What Scott was not expecting during his time off was to meet the most beautiful girl he’s ever seen and maybe, actually fall in love with her after only seeing her for two minutes. It was the gorgeous green eyes, but it was also the abandon in her smile and little squeak in her voice when she was caught off guard, but mostly the fact that she implied that she would see him again. These are the thoughts that run through his mind as he walks back down the main road towards his house before grabbing his paddle board and heading down to the beach. 

While it may not be the nicest weather, considering it’s only spring, Scott slips on his wetsuit before pushing his board out to the water and hopping on, paddling so far out that the houses he left behind get smaller and smaller with each stroke his ore makes against the stillness of the lake. It’s a feeling Scott has craved his entire life. The feeling of being on the lake gives him the clarity and freedom that he finds hard to come by these days and does not take it for granted. His mind gets away from him every time even the slightest noise comes into earshot, bringing him back to where he is, and somehow bringing him back to the thought of her. 

It doesn’t leave him much choice other than to return to shore once the sun starts to set and the faint sounds of people and a crackling fire become closer and closer. As the waters meets the sand at the edge of the shore, Scott drags his board up towards the pile he left his towel and clothes in before. With practiced ease, he takes off his wetsuit and promptly dries himself off, throwing his t-shirt over his haphazard situation that is his hair. Just as he bends down to pick up his board and discarded suit, the voice he worked so hard to not think of over the past hour rings through as if she was standing right there. 

“Scott?” Tessa asks, tentatively, just over ten feet away. 

Realizing that she actually is standing right behind him, he drops his board, whipping his head up quick to meet her now dark eyes, only lit by the fire in the distance. “Tessa, hey. What are you doing out here? It’s getting late.”

“I suppose I should be asking you the same thing” she replies with wit coating her words and a smirk creeping on her face. He stutters for a moment, not sure what the correct response is to her remark, before she saves him from lack of response. “My sister and I are hosting a little bonfire. Do you want to hang out for a bit? There’s beer, and food, if you’re hungry.”

“I- uh- I should really be going, my dad is probably waiting up for me.” 

“Just one drink, Scott” she pleads, adding the smile he could never resist.

“I guess I could stick around for one drink” he gives in, over annunciating the one, before following her towards the fire. 

It all happens rather quickly for Scott, a beer is handed to him and he somehow ends up meeting Tessa’s sister officially, unlike their little run in at the market earlier that morning, and he meets some of her good friends from school and her neighbourhood. He learns she has two brothers but they both are on their own vacations with their families and have opted out of a spring break at the cottage. After Tessa has introduced him to everyone around the fire, another man appears from the dimly lit porch behind them.

“Oh, Scott. This is Ryan. We met in my first year of university, been really close ever since” Tessa tells him earnestly and Scott reaches out, firmly shaking the man’s hand. 

“It’s a pleasure” Ryan says. 

“Likewise” Scott returns before his eyes are forced to move over to the boy now standing to Ryan’s left. Scott briefly looks to Tessa, pleading with his eyes for an explanation as to who this boy is that just appeared. 

“This is John, Ryan’s son” Tessa provides him with the answer. When Tessa notices John quietly sneak behind his father’s legs, she adds “he’s a little shy, but we’re working on it” she tells him with an earnest smile.

Scott smiles back at her before squatting down, becoming eye level with the boy in front of him. “Hello, John. It’s okay to be shy. My name is Scott. It’s nice to meet you” Scott tells the boy, still hiding. 

“It’s okay” Tessa tells him once he stands back up and rests a hand on his arm. “He’ll warm up.” 

“Yeah, he’s not usually too fond of strangers, but once he gets to know you, it’ll be like you’ve been friends forever” Ryan adds and Scott lets out a small chuckle. “Well, I was going to take John into town for some ice cream so I’ll leave you two to it” Ryan finishes. “Scott, a pleasure. See you tomorrow, Tess. Night everyone!” Ryan bids to the crowd before tugging John alongside him, up towards the side of the cottage. 

“Bye Scott!” John yells to Scott as he’s walking away and Scott gives him a smile and wave, meanwhile Tessa has a look of utter shock and surprise written all over her face, one mirroring her’s is Ryan’s before he’s dragged by the small boy out of sight.  
“You look surprised” Scott states. 

“He’s never done that before” Tessa tells him, bringing a hand to cover her gaping mouth. 

“What? Said hi to anyone?” Scott asks, now a little confused. 

“When I meant it takes some time for him to warm up to people I meant like, three or four times upon meeting them. But that- that was amazing.” 

Scott ponders what she just said before her voice breaks him out of his thoughts again. 

“You must be something pretty special then” she tells him, the smile returning to her face and a new glimmer of something not quite in his grasp in her eyes. “Did you want another beer?” she asks, gesturing to the can he has slowly started crushing in his hand. 

“No, thanks though. I should be heading out soon” he tells her and the conversations lulls for a second. “Tell me one thing before I go” he begins and she nods, encouraging him to continue. “Is that your place?” he nods over to the delicate looking white cottage with the porch lights on, a landing with patio chairs, and a long staircase that leads up to the main house. 

“It’s my mom’s, but we’ve taken over for the week” she says, adding a nonchalant shrug. 

“It’s nice” he says, “good to know” he adds under his breath. 

“What was that?” she asks, wondering if she heard him right. 

“Hmm? Oh, it’s nothing. I should go, I’m sorry” he tells her before he starts walking towards his board. Instinctually, he knows that she’s following him and he doesn’t mind in the slightest. When he picks up his board, he turns to look at her once more. “Thank you, for tonight. Letting me meet everyone. It was fun.” 

“Thank you for staying, I’m happy you got to meet them all” Tessa replies. “I’ll see you soon then?” she asks, kicking her foot into the sand a little bit in a way that Scott thinks he has never witnessed anything cuter. 

“I’ll see you soon then. Night, Tessa.” Scott says, before mock saluting and walking up towards the main road. He’s not sure what it is, but something deep in his belly is telling him that Tessa is watching him go. Before he reaches the street, he stops and wonders to himself how it is that he can feel her like this, so far etched into every fibre of himself, when he hasn’t even know her for a full twenty four hours.

When he turns around, she’s still standing in the same place, watching him walk away with a smile on her face that reaches her eyes. Bye, she tells him with one blink. He waves to her before turning back towards the dark street and walking away. 

This is nothing close to what he had expected.

As he shuffles along the quiet road of the town, he continuously adjusts and readjusts his board, trying to find a comfortable way to hold it for what usually is a short walk home. When he looks both ways before crossing the street, the pickup truck that once blinded him with its headlights pulled up next to him. 

“I think we’re headed in your direction, did you need a ride?” Scott instantly recognizes Ryan and John. 

“Oh, I’m not far, but thank you.” 

“Are you sure? It’s really no trouble” Ryan insists. 

“Alright, thanks so much” Scott tells him before going around the back to put his board in the bed of the truck. Scott returns to the passenger door where Ryan has told John to scoot over into the middle seat, giving Scott the passenger side.

The air is stagnant for a brief amount of time, John periodically making small noises with the little toy car he has been playing with. It’ Ryan that breaks the seal. “So, Scott. Tell me about yourself. What do you do?” He asks, curiously. 

“I’m-uh- I’m actually in the army” Scott replies, wondering if this is somehow an interrogation. 

“Oh, wow. That’s wonderful. Thank you for your service” Ryan responds, earnestly. “So what brings you out to Bayfield then?” 

“Thanks, uhm, yeah well my family lives out here now. I mean, not all of them, there are quite a few of us, but my dad lives out here year round” Scott tells him. 

“How long are you out here for?” Ryan pushes. 

“I leave Sunday. Gone for six months. I just came back so I could see my dad since time like this is hard to come by” he replies, honestly.

Ryan isn’t afraid to show his surprise that Scott came all this way back to Canada just for five days with his dad and can’t help but think that it takes a special kind of person to do so. As Scott points off towards the side of the road, indicating that they’ve reached his house, Ryan slows down the truck, allowing Scott to jump out in one fluid motion. 

“Again, it was great to meet you, Scott. I’m sure we’ll see you around over the next few days” Ryan says with a genuine smile through his rolled down window after Scott had grabbed his board from the bed of the truck. Scott turns around and waves in the direction one more time, flashing his best smile. 

“Bye, Scott!” John calls from next to his dad before Ryan drives away. 

After putting down his board alongside the house, Scott enters the dark entryway of the home and is greeted by resounding silence. His dad must have called it a night a while ago, so Scott follows suit. He finds himself tossing and turning for quite a long time, his thoughts not being able to settle down. 

Meanwhile, just up the road, Tessa seems to be in the same limbo. She had bid goodnight to most of the party goers not long after Scott had made his exit and retreated back to being inside the cottage. Finding solace in the comfort of her bedroom, she curled up in bed with a book but ended up reading the same sentence over and over. The focus wasn’t there. Her mind had been occupied by a boy that swooped in and somehow managed to take up a piece of her in less than a day. When she gave up on the book, tossing it on her nightstand, she tried to get comfortable, but her mind had other plans. 

Morning came quicker than Scott had thought, even though it was awfully early to even think about getting up. It was just past 7 and he had already changed into his bathing suit, had his morning coffee and was outside collecting his paddleboard once again. As he walked along the shore, he consciously made the decision to set himself up close to where the party happened last night, with the faintest hope that he would see Tessa again. He pulls on his wetsuit, scans the calm lake and pushes out onto the water, casting one last look towards her cottage. What he sees immediately forces the blush starting in his neck to rise to his cheeks, creating a hot sensation he didn’t know he could feel. There she was. Sitting on a chair on the landing, one hand curled around a mug and the other holding a book. He can’t tell if she has noticed him or not, but he can’t help but smile. When his brain catches up to his heart and realizes that this may be an awkward situation in which he is straddling a paddle board while staring at this woman reading a book, he proceeds farther out onto the lake. 

It didn’t take long for Tessa to realize that it was Scott out on the lake. Hoping that the early morning sun casting out on the calm lake would be a pleasant setting to continue reading her book; it soon became a distraction. She walked down the few steps from the porch out back and down to the landing just before the water, carefully juggling her full mug and book. From the distance she was at, it was hard to tell if he had noticed her or not, but she had definitely noticed him. The perfect hug of the wetsuit on his bulky chest, to the way his hair was swept on his head as if he didn’t bother to brush it when he woke up, and the way she could feel the warmth in his smile when he looked up in her direction. Just as she was about to put her hand up and wave, he turned around and continued on, so she retreated back to her book with flushed cheeks and a shy smile.

She catches herself watching him a lot, a small speck on the lake in relation to the rest of the world around her, but her focus is narrowed. She eventually just abandons her book entirely, neatly placing the bookmark in between the two pages and setting it next to her on the lounger. Now, just clutching her mug between both hands and sipping slowly, she sees him becoming bigger. He was getting closer and she was getting more nervous. 

As he pulls his board back onto the shore, he places it by the pile of his things, extracting himself from his wetsuit and covering his bare chest with his plain white t-shirt. Now he knows for sure that she is watching him so he raises his arm and waves, which she immediately reciprocates. 

“You look pretty cozy up there” he yells. 

“These chairs are pretty comfy. Did you want to come up and see for yourself?” She asks in a flirty tone. 

Scott chuckles to himself briefly before he grabs his phone from the pile and heads up the few steps to where he meets Tessa. 

“Come sit. Did you want a coffee or tea? Anything?” Tessa asks, politely. 

“I’m good, thanks though. What are you doing up so early?” He questions her. 

“I suppose I could turn the question back on you, but I just wanted a quiet space to read. I like having some time to myself with a good book. Sometimes it’s hard to escape from all of my friends and family, but thankfully they were all still asleep and I know they won’t bother me out here.” 

“That’s what the lake does for me. Gives me the space I need to just breathe. Escape from all the crazy for a little while, you know?” Scott explains. “My own little slice of heaven, if you will” he adds and she smiles, nodding her head in agreement. 

“So you needed to escape? This early in the morning?” She asks. 

“Yeah. I couldn’t sleep.”

“Huh. Me neither” she agrees. And there is the awkward silence again, but then Tessa giggles a little bit. 

“What?” he asks her. 

“I don’t know, really” she says with a smile and a hint of something else in her eyes, before quickly changing the conversation. “Are these as comfy as they look?” she says patting the seat next to her. 

“Yeah, they really are” he says as he puts his feet up and tucks his hands behind his head before leaning back in the chair. “I understand why you love it here.” She hums her agreement and copies his move. They sit together in the silence for a moment before Scott sits up and starts again. “I hope this doesn’t sound too forward” he begins, “but can I take you out to dinner?” 

She doesn’t even look surprised when she sits up and her eyes meet his as she tucks a loose strand of her wavy hair behind her ear. “Are you free tonight?” 

“So I’ll take that as a yes?” He asks, tentatively. 

“I’d love to go to dinner with you” her tone is genuine and unwavering. 

“Oh, wow, okay. I wasn’t expecting it to be that easy” Scott jokes before running his hand through his hair. “So tonight then? I’ll pick you up at 7?” 

“7 sounds great” Tessa agrees, her smile radiating, making him smile with her. 

Scott stood up from the lounge chair and stretched his arms above his head. When his shirt lifts a little to reveal his midriff, her eyes flutter down and promptly back up when she catches herself staring. “I should probably meet my dad for breakfast” Scott tells her. 

“Okay. My friends are going to be up soon which means I should head inside” Tessa responds, standing up next to him, grabbing her empty mug and book before leading him back to the stairs. “I’ll see you soon then, Scott?”

“I’ll see you soon then. 7 pm. On the dot” Scott tells her before turning and heading down the stairs to collect his stuff from the beach. Tessa watches him walk away before heading back up to the cottage where she can here little bits of chatter between her friends. 

As she opens the door, she tries to slide right in unnoticed, but Jordan, as observant as ever, doesn’t let it go. “What were you doing out there, Tess?” 

“Just some reading” she says, holding up the book and waving it around as if to rub it in her face. 

“And Scott was just sitting with you while you read?” she continued on. 

Was it 7 o’clock yet?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> kudos and comments will get the next chapter out faster!!! (if you want it)

**Author's Note:**

> is it worth continuing? let me know!


End file.
